Torah Tidbits
24 May 2012 /
3 Sivan 5772
Issue 0891
Issue 891 - Parashat Sh'mot 5770
January 07, 2010
Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
The extra-silent ALEF
An ALEF is silent enough, having no consonantal sound; at least it is represented by the vowel sound it is attached to.
But not so for all ALEFs. Some have no vowel (and others have their vowel usurped - but we’re not talking about those in this week’s column) and are therefore totally silent. They don’t contribute to the pronunciation of the word at all. (They still belong there because of verb roots, but that too is another issue.)
Here’s an interesting example from Parshat Sh’mot. Interesting, because how the word is pronounced can change the intended meaning of the word.
The midwives (Shifra and Pu’ah) feared G-d.
VA-TI-RE-NA H’M’YALDOT ET HA’ELOHIM…
ותיראן המילדת את האלוקים
VA-TI-RE-NA (accent on the -RE- syl- lable). Not VA-TIR-ENA, which might be tempting to say, since it gives the ALEF a presence (albeit, unwarranted, in this case). VA-TIR-ENA means and they SAW, not and they FEARED.
*Bat Par’o's name later in Tanach is BITYA, not Batya.
- Other Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
- Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
- Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
- Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
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In This Issue of Torah Tidbits
- Eco-Rabbi
- Lead Tidbit
- Guest Article
- Candle A Day
- Jewish Law
- Wisdom & Wit
- Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
- Gimatriya
- Sedra Stats
- Vebbe Rebbe
- Portion of the Portion
- MicroUlpan
- Parsha Points to Ponder
- TTriddles "Report"
- Person In The Parsha
- Word of the Month
- Praying With Passion
- Press Release from the OU
- Torah from Nature
- Ethical Teachings of the Torah
- Chizuk and Idud
- Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
- Divrei Menachem
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